Multiple transformations, coordination and public goods. Tbilisi and the search for planning as collective strategy

Tbilisi has undergone spectacular changes which can be grasped by the concept of ‘Multiple Transformations’, characteristic of post-socialist cities. Along with the reform of legislative, institutional and social frameworks, an urban or spatial transformation took place. We distinguish different phases of Tbilisi's urban transformation, discuss the reasons and analyze the outcomes of the transitional process. We argue that the multiple transformations which occurred since the 90's jeopardized many collective goods essential to the quality of urban life, while that same multiplicity destroyed mechanisms of coordination in governance, mechanisms which would have been helpful in defining a new form of urban governance and urban planning. Transition thus created a need for collective strategy while rendering the formation and implementation of such strategy hard. The multiple transitions concept proved helpful not only in analyzing a particular instance of urban change but also in linking that change to contextualized options for future strategy. In the case of Tbilisi, the analysis highlighted the time needed to rebuild institutions, clarify false oppositions, find value in combining planning and market principles, and in the basic idea of coordinated action towards collective goals.